Arts and Theatre

Many cities and counties in North Georgia have adopted policies to enhance public enjoyment of the arts and theater. More than 10,000 children per year benefit from programs offered by the Douglas County Cultural Arts Center whose purpose is to inspire community participation in the arts. Over 40,000 people per year attend events at Cartersville’s Grand Theatre, which has been a centerpiece of the arts in Cartersville ever since 1929. Opera and ballet lovers in North Georgia are fortunate to be able to enjoy OperaSouth and the Georgia Ballet, both of which are located in Marietta.

Arts and theater in North Georgia’s cities

Rome Symphony Orchestra is the first and oldest symphony orchestra in the South, and it performs a diverse repertoire of concerts at the Rome City Auditorium each year. The Roswell Cultural Arts Center is dedicated to the performing and visual arts and it is another popular venue for musical shows, dance performances and other kinds of cultural events. Located in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, the Georgia Ensemble Theatre is North Fulton County’s only professional theater company and it produces comedies, dramas and musicals throughout the year.

The City of Athens has two large theaters. The Morton Theatre has been presenting innovative theatrical productions since 1910, and the Classic Center is a 2,050-seat state of the art theater that features Broadway show productions and performances by the Athens Symphony. The futuristic 12,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park in Alpharetta is the regular venue for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Alpharetta also has two community theaters specializing in family oriented productions, the ACT1 Theater and the Chattahoochee Community Players Community Theatre.

The City of Snellville has two community theaters. The Gwinnett Ballet Theatre is Gwinnett County’s first and oldest non-profit performing arts company and its performances are attended by more than 12,000 people per year. New London Theater consists of volunteers who produce 8 different shows each year. In Lawrenceville, the Aurora’s Children’s Playhouse offers short theatrical productions for children and in Duluth, the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts includes a 20,000 sq. ft. Children’s Art Museum with many interactive projects that were designed to teach children about art.

Arts and theater in North Georgia’s mountain region

In the City of Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association sponsors Arts in the Park festival during Memorial Day weekend and the Wildlife Festival of the Arts in September. The Blue Ridge Community Theater fills its annual schedule with dramatic, comedic and musical productions. In Dahlonega, the North Georgia Chamber Symphony and the Appalachian Chamber Orchestra entertain residents of North Georgia’s mountain region with a regular series of orchestral and chamber music concerts, and the Holly Theatre presents plays all year round. Exemplifying North Georgia’s commitment to the arts and theater, the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton is the oldest multi-disciplinary arts organization in Georgia and its mission is to present professional quality dance and arts projects in order to provide local dancers, choreographers, artists and musicians with a popular venue for their work. North Georgia has evolved into a region in which residents can enjoy the arts and theater or participate as professionals and volunteers.